Brouwerijen Alken-Maes
Commercial Brewery
in
Alken,
Limburg,
Belgium 🇧🇪
Owned by
Brouwerijen Alken-Maes NV/SA - Heineken Belgium
Established in 1988
Contact
Subsidiaries
Description
Winning innovator on the Belgian beer market with brands such as Maes, Cristal, Desperados, Grimbergen, Affligem, Strongbow and Mort Subite.
De “Brouwerijen Alken-Maes NV” ontstond officieel in 1988, als gevolg van de fusie van de brouwerijen Maes en Cristal Alken. Maar de roots van beide entiteiten gaat terug tot omstreeks 1880. In Waarloos kocht Egied Maes toen nl. de brouwerij Sint-Michaël, terwijl korte tijd later Arthur Boes een brouwerij startte in Alken, zo’n 100 km verderop.
Beide brouwerijen ontwikkelen zich stelselmatig, met bv. Cristal dat in 1928 als eerste Belgische pils het licht ziet. Maes Pils volgt in 1946. Nadien vervoegen Grimbergen, Ciney en andere bieren de portfolio, tot aan de fusie in 1988. Na onderdeel te hebben uitgemaakt van Danone en Scottish & Newcastle, wordt Alken-Maes in 2008 eigendom van Heineken.
De “Brouwerijen Alken-Maes NV” ontstond officieel in 1988, als gevolg van de fusie van de brouwerijen Maes en Cristal Alken. Maar de roots van beide entiteiten gaat terug tot omstreeks 1880. In Waarloos kocht Egied Maes toen nl. de brouwerij Sint-Michaël, terwijl korte tijd later Arthur Boes een brouwerij startte in Alken, zo’n 100 km verderop.
Beide brouwerijen ontwikkelen zich stelselmatig, met bv. Cristal dat in 1928 als eerste Belgische pils het licht ziet. Maes Pils volgt in 1946. Nadien vervoegen Grimbergen, Ciney en andere bieren de portfolio, tot aan de fusie in 1988. Na onderdeel te hebben uitgemaakt van Danone en Scottish & Newcastle, wordt Alken-Maes in 2008 eigendom van Heineken.
6.8/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 6.5
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 6.5
Tried
from Draft
on 05 Jun 2026
at 21:41
8.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 9
Texture 9
Overall 9
330ml can from Carrefour Express in Brugge, Belgium. Pours a crystal clear light gold color with a small white head and good retention. Good lacing too. Light pilsner malt aroma. Light pilsner malt flavor too. Tastes like a blend of pale malt and pilsner malt. A nice, smooth, clean, crisp, easy drinking lager. Very repeatable. Medium-light body. Medium-light carbonation. Low bitterness. Basic but good.
Tried
from Can
at
Carrefour Express
on 02 Jun 2026
at 22:48
6.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 7
Overall 7
Amber colour, hazy, large frothy head that stays long. Aroma is grassy and flowery hops, black pepper. Medium to heavy bitterness. Lively carbonation, medium body. Very good!
Tried
from Bottle
at
Firma Handlowa Maria
on 28 Apr 2026
at 19:30
9/10
—
Appearance 9
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 9
Overall 9
500ml draft at De Carre in Brugge, Belgium. Pours a crystal clear gold color with a white head and very good retention. Light pilsner malt aroma. Light pilsner malt flavor too, but it's a very good lager. Smooth, clean, and sweet. Very easy drinking. Very chuggable. Medium-light body and medium-light carbonation, Low bitterness.
Tried
from Draft
on 16 Apr 2026
at 13:05
6.4/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6.5
Texture 7
Overall 6.5
Malt, grain, syrup. Taste is malt, sweet bread, a hint of sweet citrus. Sweetish aftertaste. Not mindblowing, tbh.
Tried
from Can
on 15 Apr 2026
at 18:14
6.8/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 7
Flavor 6.5
Texture 7
Overall 6.5
bottle @ supermarket (antwerp) orange colour, normal body, average carbonated, white head, hoppy, malty, bit grainy, decent bitter, citrus, mango, apricot, easy to drink
Tried
on 05 Apr 2026
at 18:42
3.6/10
—
Appearance 4
Aroma 3
Flavor 4
Texture 3
Overall 4
can @ lidl (bruxeles)
Tried
on 03 Apr 2026
at 06:10
6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Keg at biercafe olivier. Pours golden, nose is lemon, grassy, hay, taste is herb,.grass, bitter. 6
Tried
on 28 Mar 2026
at 18:51
6/10
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Mar 2026
at 18:27
5.1/10
—
Appearance 5
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 5
(bottle 0,25l from Beershop.cz online shop)
* Mediocre pils. *
Clear pale yellow. Medium, white head. Light sweet, weak aroma, light grainy, light hay. Medium body.
* Mediocre pils. *
Clear pale yellow. Medium, white head. Light sweet, weak aroma, light grainy, light hay. Medium body.
Tried
from Bottle
from Beershop.cz
on 22 Mar 2026
at 19:59